Udupi Sri Krishna Matha

The Sri Krishna Matha in Udupi was founded in the 13th century by Madhvacharya, the Vaishnava saint who established the Dvaita school of Vedanta. He is said to have found the image of Krishna inside a large lump of gopichandana clay. The matha works as a living ashram, with daily worship and residents, and is surrounded by other temples, including the Anantheshwara temple, which is more than a thousand years old.

Devotees see Krishna only through windows: the silver-plated Navagraha Kindi with its nine openings, and the outer Kanakana Kindi, framed by an arch named after the poet-saint Kanakadasa. Legend says Kanakadasa, kept out of the temple because he was not a Brahmin, sang outside the west wall until the idol turned to face him and a crack opened in the wall. The temple serves a free midday meal to large numbers of devotees.